For the Burroughs football team to win its second straight game, it will need to beat an opponent that has a similar look.

By Anthony GentileSPORTS EDITORagentile@ridgecrestca.com

For the Burroughs football team to win its second straight game, it will need to beat an opponent that has a similar look. Apple Valley has a run-heavy offense with a quarterback comfortable outside the pocket, an aggressive defense with a three-man front, and on Friday night the Burros will aim to take the Sun Devils down on the road.Though Burroughs and Apple Valley share similarities, a key difference the two teams is size. The Sun Devils have bigger interior players, and the Burros will need a physical effort in order to control the line of scrimmage.“They’re huge, they’re physical and we’re going to have to match that,” Burros head coach Todd Mather said. “We both have the same idea — we have to run the ball effectively and shut each other’s run game down. It’s going to be physical.” On offense, Burroughs will look to establish its ground game with running back Trevor Baker leading the way. Baker ran for 57 yards on eight carries in the first half against Antelope Valley last week, and was the Burros’ featured tailback with Tyron Jones primarily lined up at receiver.“We have to get Tyron the ball and we have to get Baker the ball,” Mather said. “We feel like we can run a few things between the tackles and we feel like we can use our speed to get outside on them.”Behind their trio of backs Baker, Jones and Adan Peña, the Burros plan to get their ground game going, which sets up the play-action pass. Apple Valley runs an aggressive ‘30’ defense, and Burroughs plans to exploit the aggressiveness of the Sun Devils’ linebackers and safeties with fakes.“If they see run, they’re full speed coming in,” Mather said.Quarterback Ryan Sanford had his best game of the season last week, throwing for 173 yards and three touchdowns against Antelope Valley. Sanford has improved since the start of the season, and has an increased understanding of the game plan with each passing week. “I’m doing a better job communicating to him what I’m looking for in the game plan, as far as when I call routes who we’re looking to hit,” Mather said. “He’s starting to come around. We’re still getting him ready for league and helping him understand.”On defense, Burroughs is primarily tasked with stopping Apple Valley’s ground game. So far this season, the Sun Devils haven’t had many secrets offensively. “We feel like we have a pretty good sense of what’s coming — they have some big tendencies out of formations,” Mather said. “Their coach has done the same thing for three years now — if he starts a drive in a certain formation, he stays in it the whole drive.” Apple Valley deviated from the scouting report last season against Burroughs, and last week ran three flea flickers in a 13-6 win over Victor Valley. Still, Mather expects a run-heavy attack featuring senior running back DiAnggelo Guillory, who has rushed for 289 yards and five touchdowns on 74 carries this season.“We have to shut down the run — they run between the tackles,” Mather said.Of the 147 plays Apple Valley’s offense has run this season, all but six of the running plays were run between the tackles. When the Sun Devils pass, expect senior quarterback Justin Connors to roll out and try to hit short-to-intermediate routes, a game plan that shouldn’t test Burroughs’ deep pass coverage.Burroughs’ inside defensive players will be key to stopping Apple Valley’s rushing attack. On the defensive line, the Burros will rotate as many as nine players to keep starters Ethan Haddock, Austin Groshens and John Hicks fresh for the entire game. Michael Stanciu, Alex Rockwell and Daniel Gonzalez will see an increase in playing time as Burroughs platoons players to combat Apple Valley’s big offensive line.“There have been more guys getting in the game there because they are doing a great job in practice and working their way up,” Mather said.Burroughs will play without starting outside linebacker Isaiah Ramon on Friday night, who is sidelined with a concussion. That injury will put sophomore Kevin Burgess at middle linebacker, with Richie Villa lined up opposite Jones on the outside. “Kevin can just go B-gap to B-gap in the middle,” Mather said. “In the spring we moved him down to defensive end and then we moved him back — he really helps us.”A large part of Burroughs’ success in last week’s 43-20 win over Antelope Valley can be credited to a restructured practice schedule and approach. Fresh off a bye last week, the Burros rolled out a schedule that put an increased focus on installation and instruction in the beginning of the week.At Sunday night’s coaches meeting Mather communicates to the Burros’ position coaches what to focus on at each position, which allows the coaches more time to work with the players on those items. Monday is now a slower day where the game plan is taught, with a heavy emphasis on defense. On Tuesday, players are in full pads practicing at full speed.“It’s a better feeling overall — I feel better, the coaches feel better, and the players feel better,” Mather said. “We went into last week’s game more prepared, and it’s something we had to step back and take a look at. The kids are a lot more confident when they understand the game plan better — they play more freely.”Burroughs beat Apple Valley 9-8 last season in a low-scoring struggle, and upset the Sun Devils in the playoffs two years ago. Apple Valley is 3-1 this season with victories over Victor Valley, San Jacinto and Knight and a loss to Kaiser.“I know Apple Valley is gunning for us because we upset them two years in a row,” Mather said. “We play very well at Apple Valley’s stadium. I think the kids like playing there — the locker room is really nice and it’s a big stadium with a great atmosphere.”Friday night’s game is the first of four straight road contests for Burroughs. This stretch presents a tough test but also comes with some advantages, including the ability to suit up junior varsity players on Friday night.“We play pretty well on the road, and we think we play better because we have control of these kids from the time they get out of school,” Mather said. Burroughs faces Apple Valley at Newton T. Bass Stadium on Friday night at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 93.7 FM.